Internal and External Factors Starting from one man's kind gesture to help wounded soldiers, The Red Cross has grown to be known around the world for their compassionate care for those in need; Working to prevent and/or relieve suffering, the Red Cross is made up of donors, volunteers, and employees. These people come together from all walks of life in order to help those less fortunate or those who have been over-taken by disaster. There are five key service areas in which the Red Cross provides support; disaster relief, supporting America's Military families, lifesaving blood, health and safety services, and International services (Red Cross, 2013). Since being founded in1881 by Clara Barton, the Red Cross has been a consistent lifeline for those in need both in America and around the world (Red Cross, 2013). Of course, a lot has changed since 1881 in technology and just the everyday way of life, therefore The Red Cross has had to adapt as well in order to keep up and continue to run a successful organization. They have made good use of technology by use of Internet and data bases, which provide help and comfort to families who have had to endure disasters. For example, throughout many major disasters such as tornados, hurricanes, floods, and many other chaotic disasters, American Red Cross makes it possible for families to access a database and post their name and a message which then pushes out to Facebook and twitter letting other family members know they are ok. As a matter of face, after Hurricane Katrina, the American Red Cross partnered with Microsoft Corp. to create Safe and Well, a website used during disasters and other emergency situations. Survivors list themselves as unharmed and write a brief message, which can be automatically posted to their Twitter and Facebook profiles. People can search the database for registrants (Chang, 2013). Most recently, American Red Cross used this technology to help people get messages out during the Boston bombing during the Boston marathon while cellular lines were jammed up and internet services were extremely slow and nearly impossible to utilize. So when modern technology goes down, American Red Cross is able to overcome that external factor and allow people to connect in other ways. It has allowed them to give help when needed, where it is needed, and however it is needed. The use of technology has definitely expanded the help of the Red Cross. Now, the functions of management are planning, organizing, leading, and controlling. The Red Cross is just like any other business or company and must be managed properly in order to succeed. Therefore they have plans put in place for what to do when certain disasters strike. This allows them to be prepared to go out and save lives when bad things happen. Of course, like any other plan there are instances that take place that affects that plan and the implementation of that plan. We discussed already how they help connect families even though technology has failed us during these disaster times, but there are other factors that affect them as well. Having multiple diversities could cause them to have to change their former plan and act quickly to make sure they have the correct blood types in order to help everyone involved. Another thing to consider is what if there are people there with different cultures that do not use cell phones or social media or internet at all in order to stay in contact with loved ones? They have to take that into account and have a way for those people to connect with their families as well. Like any other organization they may very well come across conflicts of interest within the organization (internally) as well. However, the Red Cross has put forth a process just for that problem. Board members are required to fill out a Conflict of Interest Disclosure Form annually. This helps board members identify any conflicts that may have arose and implement the necessary remedy that is in the best interest of the Red Cross. The Red Cross has made a difference in millions of lives around the world over the years, and every single day regular people like me and you keep the American Red Cross going so that they can continue to make a difference. We do so by donating our time, money, blood, energy, or by even taking courses offered through the Red Cross so that we can use that knowledge one day ourselves. By them adjusting to a new way of life, they have overcome many external and internal factors. Society today is very sensitive and so overcoming the diversity within America and staying ethical they have been able to have continued success. I don’t think America really understands just how important organizations like the American Red Cross truly are. If these organizations were not ran the exact way that they are ran today they would not be as successful and we would hurt from that. The functions or management are important in order to reach success and maintain it, but with an organization like the Red Cross it a matter of life or death. If they mess up a step here and there they may cost thousands of people their lives. Nobody wants that, and the American Red Cross has done a great job of making sure each step is taken in order to ensure that doesn’t happen. There are quite a few companies out there that could learn from the Red Cross and how they work. Plan properly, organize everything correctly, have someone in charge that really knows how to lead everything and make sure everyone knows what they are supposed to be doing, and can go around and make sure everyone is doing what they are supposed to be doing. If you make sure and do those 4 things then there is no way that you will not have a successful company.

References
Chang, A. (2013, April 19). Internet connected loved ones after boston bombings. Los Angeles Times. Retrieved from http://articles.latimes.com/2013/apr/19/business/la-fi-tech-savvy-boston-bombing-20130420
American Red Cross Conflict of Interest Disclosure Questionnaire, Rev., October 2009; http://www.redcross.org/images/MEDIA_CustomProductCatalog/m4240139_BOGConflictOfInterest.pdf http://redcross.org/news http://www.redcross.org/what-we-do